The NGO ”Christ in motion – Ivory Coast (CEM-CI)” traveled for a week, the city of Divo, to meet men, especially women, various ministerial departments and departments, as well as schools, in order to raise their awareness of the dangers of artificial depigmentation and the solutions for maintaining the natural beauty of the skin, as part of a project supervised by the government. The primary school groups ”Fraternité”, ”Dioulabougou”, ”Gremian”, and the Institution for Women’s Training and Education (IFEF), the Departmental Directorate of Health, are some of the services and directions visited by the National Coordinator of the prevention program against diseases linked to artificial depigmentation of the NGO CEM-CI, Dr. Doh Marcellin. The current awareness campaign is an initiative of the NGO CEM-CI, carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, the Ministry of Women, Family and Children, National Education and Literacy, and with the support of the United Nations. The theme of this campaign is, “My skin, my life”. “The situation is alarming in Côte d’Ivoire and is a public health problem, because 60% of cases of depigmentation are recorded in women and 10% in men,” said Dr. Doh. According to the CEM-CI expert, people who strip themselves attack their skin and thus put their lives in danger, while the Ivorian government, by a decree of April 2015, prohibits depigmentation products, especially those containing mercury and its derivatives, corticosteroids, vitamin A, and hydroquinone above 2%. He challenged the illegal sellers of these products, because Côte d’Ivoire ranks 3rd in black Africa for the sale of cosmetic products, most of which are done illegally. The CEM-CI coordinator stressed that the three known depigmentation modes, namely that by application of products on the skin, that by injection, and that by consumption of tablets, are dangerous for the life of the user, because provocative cancers, kidney failure, deformities, infertility, and many other pathologies. “Young lady, it is important to know that your body is a treasure. Go to the University Hospital of Treichville, and you will see how often women die following childbirth because of depigmentation,” warned Dr. Doh. The CEM-CI coordinator advised the use of natural products such as Shea butter, and approved pharmaceutical products, for the maintenance of the skin. Groups of two to three people are formed in the various departments and schools visited, in order to act as interfaces for the CEM-CI team, to help follow up on people who have problems with their skin.

Source: Agence Ivoirienne De Presse